Summer Edition
We are putting out a summer edition again this year to give volunteers a summer break. Our next edition will be coming out around Labour Day weekend. Thanks for your support.
Check out Convent Glen – Orleans Wood’s newest Pollinator Garden!
On Thursday, June 22nd, CGOWCA’s Environment Committee unveiled its latest initiative, the “Pollinator’s Paradise” pollinator garden, in partnership with Ecology Ottawa and Orleans Wood Elementary School!
The committee worked to remove invasive plants, dying shrubs, and non-native species, and replaced them with more than 40 different types of native wildflowers and plants. Pollinator gardens are an example of ways our community can help to create and protect habitats for pollinators to live and thrive and help them in supporting other important ecosystems. This garden also exposes guests to various plants that are important to our environment. It was designed so that it would provide the most benefit for pollinators and support them through their full life cycle with shelter, bare ground for nesting, water, pollen, and nectar. Since native plants naturally grow in this area and are already adapted to the soil and weather here, once they’re established in the garden, they’re very low maintenance.
A very special thank you to the students at Orleans Wood Elementary School for choosing the name of this garden! This project was made possible with support from Orleans Wood Elementary School’s Principal Dianne Morris, Madame Kim and her students, William van Geest from Ecology Ottawa, the Ottawa Community Foundation, TD Environmental Leaders Program, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
Are you curious about pollinator gardens? Stop by the front of Orleans Wood Elementary School to see it for yourself!
Would you like to help with future projects like this? Join the CGOWCA’s Environment Committee! Email us for more information at ConventGlenOrleansWood@gmail.com.
CGOWCA Bridge Committee Update
The door-to-door campaign to raise awareness about the federal government’s planned bridge across the Ottawa River just west of Orleans is well and truly underway. Our small army of volunteers has already covered a good part of Convent Glen.
We have all been struck by several aspects of the community’s response so far. Firstly, it is clear that the government’s “zero publicity” policy has been highly effective: the vast majority of the residents we spoke to have no idea that this project even existed. Even those residents who have lived in the area long enough to remember the government’s previous attempt (over ten years ago) were astonished to find that, like a zombie, this ill-conceived idea has lurched back to life. But, very encouragingly, the same vast majority have declared themselves to be utterly opposed to a bridge across the Ottawa River and through the Greenbelt.
This, upon reflection, should surprise no one. Everyone who lives in Orleans is acutely aware of how very green our neighbourhood is, and how enriched it is by its proximity to the Ottawa River and the Greenbelt. This is particularly true of Convent Glen and Orleans Wood.
We appeal to our readers to get more involved if you can. The easiest contribution you can make is to sign a petition against the bridge, which we will soon be posting on our website: www.orleansbridge.ca. (The website is also a great source of information on the bridge, including a map that graphically conveys how disruptive the bridge would be.)
But the most sure-fire way of mobilizing opposition to the bridge remains knocking on doors, as not everyone is aware of this newsletter. We invite you to swell our small army of door-to-door volunteers to reach all the residents of Convent Glen Orleans Wood and beyond more effectively. You can reach us at: cgnbridgecommittee@gmail.com.
Thank you, and let’s keep Orleans green!
Yoga in the Park 2023
Pieced Together StoryWalk
The Heart of Orléans BIA is so excited to launch a Pieced Together StoryWalk in The Heart of Orléans BIA on July 8, 2023! Start your adventure at Gloucester Veterinary Hospital at 11AM! Meet local author Timm Holmes (TimmWrites) and hear how Roxy Robin’s story begins! Collect a colouring sheet and have fun making your way through the neighbourhood!
Look for the “Start Your Story Here” sign on the lawn of the Vet’s office for the first page of the StoryWalk. Read or use the QR codes on the posters to watch a storytelling of each page, and then choose what you and Roxy Robin will do next! Can you discover all four different endings?
Carivibe Festival
Description from the Heart of Orléans BIA website: Get ready to experience the sights, sounds, and flavours of the Caribbean as the highly anticipated Carivibe Festival returns to Ottawa, Canada July 21-23, 2023.
Carivibe is set to be the biggest and most vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture in the Nation’s Capital.
With its vibrant music, colorful costumes, delicious food, and rich history, the Caribbean is a melting pot of cultures, and Carivibe Festival brings it all to life. Over the three-day festival, attendees will be treated to an authentic menu of Caribbean cuisine, live music, dance performances, and other entertainment acts that represent the Caribbean’s diverse cultural heritage. www.carivibe.com
National Pickleball Day Event at Orléans Tennis Club
Description from the Heart of Orléans BIA website: The Orléans Tennis Club will be co-hosting a National Pickleball Day evening with the Ottawa Pickleball Association on Saturday, August 11 from 6-9pm.
This event will be open to the larger community, FREE OF CHARGE (and free cake/snacks), whether you have never played pickleball before, or if you’re an avid player. Instructions/lessons will be available, and extra paddles will be available to borrow. No need to be a member of the Orleans Tennis Club or the Ottawa Pickleball Association. www.orleanstennisclub.ca
Summer Market at Shenkman
Doggo Cakes and Treats is hosting a summer outdoor market with over 30 vendors. Free entry, door prizes and dogs welcome. Come to the Agora Minto-Orléans on July 29th and August 19th at 1pm.
Family and Friends Guided Tours by Friends of Petrie Island
A tour of the nature trails, with talks about the flora and fauna of the island, its history and geology, and who the Friends of Petrie Island are and what they do.
Prices (Per session)
- $15 – 1-5 people
- $20 – More than 5 people
- $10 – Discounted for members (inquire about becoming a member)
**Bring exact change**
Bilingual instructors available
To register for a program, please complete the form on their website: https://www.petrieisland.org/childrens-nature-programs. A staff member of Friends of Petrie Island will then contact you.
